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Thursday, December 21, 2017

Hello friends! With just days until Christmas... this elf is in a frenzy making handmade gifts. I have most everything completed and shipped, but I have saved the special gifts for last. They are the best and several will get a finishing touch with Etchall® Etching Créme!

Today I'm sharing a quick and easy transformation of ceramic ready made ornaments from the craft store... you know the ones -- they cost about $1 and are ready for paint, collage or ETCHING!!

Etchall® is a REUSABLE, easy to use etching créme that creates permanent etched designs on large or small areas of glass, mirror, ceramic, porcelain, marble and slate. No curing, drying required... it just takes 15 minutes! CLICK HERE to read more about this fantastic product. I will also be using Etchall® Resist Gel which makes hand drawn detailing quick and easy.

The Etchall® Resist Gel is an opaque pale blue in color which when dry and ready to etch goes clear.

There's very little prep work for embellishing these blank ornaments. Just remove from packaging, remove hanger, and clean surface with rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth. This plain round ornament ready to be transformed into a priceless keepsake.This ornament will be a very special commemorative gift. My husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary last month {seriously... twenty-five YEARS}. This is truly a milestone! Not too many folks my age are even married, and if they are... newly married {some divorced}. Twenty five years hasn't always been bright and shiny, some of it was gritty and hard, but we are still together and stronger for all life's ups and downs. This ornament is going to represent this momentous occasion and it must be handmade.

I masked off the edges with some blue painter's tape so I can grip the ornament while I work. I select a couple chipboard numbers from my crafty stash to plan out my design, then trace around the numbers with a wet-erase chalk pen. This pen writes on glass and is easily removed with a wet cloth. I also write years in my own handwriting to give a personal touch. Now I'm ready to apply the Etchall® Resist Gel.

Twist to remove the locking lid to the bottle, then twist on one of the nibs. I selected the thinnest and gently squeeze to get the resist gel flowing and draw a little to test the flow. I trace over my design applied with the chalk ink pen. I am going for an aged, distressed look and feel, so I am throwing caution to the wind...

I outlined the numbers and it's thicker in some areas than others. I set this aside to dry.

Depending on thickness of application the Etchall® Resist Gel dried in about 20 minutes to half-hour.

While that one is drying, I'm going to have fun with freehand drawing designs on the other ornaments. This is as fun as decorating sugar cookies!

Because the etching creme is wet, it made it really easy to also rub away the resist gel. I noticed part of the 5 had peeled back so I quickly removed as much creme as possible to reuse, then rinsed the rest away before it could etch into the masked areas.

Under running water, I gently rubbed away the remaining Etchall® Etching Créme with water. The resist gel design came off pretty easy in the process.

I pulled away all the dried resist gel and gave the ornament a final rinse. I set on a towel and patted dry. At first I couldn't see the etched design. I didn't realize that etched ceramic takes a lot longer to dry than etched glass. Ceramic is porous so it takes longer for the moisture to evaporate. I kept myself occupied drawing on the other ornies while I waited and after about 15 minutes... the magic could be seen!!!

When the ceramic is completely dry, I rub some Silver Leaf Rub 'n Buff® to the surface which only sticks to the etched surface. Using a paper towel, I rub away the excess to reveal the hand drawn design. I love the patina the rub n' Buff gives on the matte etched area. The un-etched edge of the ornament remains the original glazed ceramic finish.

I add two pieces of ribbon to make a hanger and this special ornament is ready to give to my husband for Christmas! I love how the design looks tattered and worn... like an old antique glass ornament. If I wanted it supremely perfect, I could have simply broke out my Cricut Expression and cut vinyl -- but for this gift from the heart only a HANDMADE touch would do. Merry Etchmas!!!

ColoriQue is an ink based product developed by Clearsnap® and jewelry artist Lisa Marie Jimenez. Colors are blendable and can be layered for unique effects. Easily applies to a variety of metals, working on both raw and plated. Not just for metal, ColoriQue can also be used on clay, ceramic, glass, wood and leather. Dries quickly and is studio safe.

I love recycling and repurposing items and I have a box of "alterables" containing items from around the house and thrift store finds. I have grabbed some ribbon, Glue Dots® and holiday floral picks from my stash to accompany the U-Paint Leaf Ornament embellishments and ColoriQue paints.

For today's project I selected a three-panel curved frame that was a thrift store score for 75 cents. With some paint, embellishments and some photos... I can transform this into some lovely holiday decor that will make a perfect keepsake gift too! I remove the backing and glass and give frame a rub-down with a damp towel to clean off any dust and dirt to prepare for it's transformation.

Using a cosmetic sponge, I daub on "Ruby Slippers" ColoriQue. I am more interested in quick coverage and getting color into all the nooks and crannies, and the sponge does the job and gives a streak-free finish.

The ColoriQue goes on bright with a slight shimmer that is a bit translucent. As the color dries, the red color dulls back. If the base of this frame was white instead of black, I would have a totally different look -- very bright. I don't know if this frame is wood or particle-pressed, but I love how with only one layer of color, it now looks like mahoghany.

When dry the "Ruby Slippers" ColoriQuelooks like a deep cranberry over the matte black wood frame. I sponge along, daubing on the color, completely covering all edges. I wait a few minutes to let layer dry before applying a second coat to build up richness of color. I didn't have to wait long. I was painting in sections, so where I began was dry by the time I got all the way around the frame.

I repeated each color a second time, this time just on the high points -- building up depth and interest of colors in the intricate details.

I went back and lightly rubbed the high points with a little more "Ruby Slippers" to marry the color with the matching painted frame. I love how the color and sheen of the ColoriQue has quickly and easily transformed both of these items... and it dries in a snap!

I gently bent the painted Leaf Ornament back and forth in the center to break apart into two sections. I trimmed away one sharp edge with heavy duty scissors. I'll be covering up these with some faux floral items, so I'm not concerned about the edges matching.

The detail is equally beautiful on both sides of the U-Paint Leaf Ornament. I took an extra step of adding color to the largest portion of the backside as portions will be overhanging the frame edges.

After bending each piece slightly to match arch of the frame, I used 3/16" multi-use Glue Dots® squares to attach in place flanking the outer squares and leaving space between to add some faux foilage.

I finished off the center with sections of holiday floral picks - reassembling bits and pieces to make a garland-like swag and join the center of the flanked painted Leaf Ornaments.

So Merry and Bright!

This 75 cent thrift store frame has been transformed into a beautiful holiday display piece. I'm waiting on some new photos of my toddler nephews to replace Santa wrapping paper and this keepsake will be on it's merry way to my Grandmother for Christmas.

Thanks so much for visiting! CLICK HERE to pop over to the beginning of the Designer Crafts Connection "ColoriQue" Bloghop and enjoy more holiday decor inspiration. Sb :)

** This is a sponsored post. Clearsnap® has provided Lisa Marie Jimenez ColoriQue paints, and U-Paint provided the metal blanks for use in this project in exchange for my creative ideas, views and opinions. My ideas and opinions are my own.

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Hello everyone! I have a Halloween make to share today-- one that I was inspired to create. I haven't made any jewelry lately so I was excited and inspired by the theme and jumped at the chance to make some new Witch-worthy jewels for a "Witch's Cupboard" charm swap with some art friends hosted by Michelle Frae Cummings.

I knew immediately that I wanted to create some glowing apple charms. I have an old apple pin that I found at a thrift store in my "TO MOLD" box that is a nice size and would be a nice pendant or charm made in resin... and with Halloween just around the corner, perhaps a POISON apple??!

I would normally break out the Amazing Mold Putty, but with the high gloss enameled surface and the fact that I wanted to make multiples -- I decided on using Amazing Remelt to create molds for my Cre8time Witchcraft!

Amazing Remelt is a Non Toxic, one-part reusable mold making material for room temperature or low exotherm materials. Amazing Remelt softens at 120˚F and becomes liquid at 135˚-140˚F. It can be remelted and reused to make new molds time and time again. This is ideal for making molds for smaller items such as jewelry, embellishments, and chocolate molds. YES, this stuff is FOOD-SAFE and it works great with chocolate and fondant!!

Before making a mold I need to add some tape to the backside so that the molding material won't flow through the hole where the stem touches the apple. I burnish the tape down really good with a bone folder to ensure good adhesion.

A couple criss-crossed recycled stir-sticks through the pin back will help suspend the original over a small silicone bowl that I will be using as a mold box.

Amazing Remelt is easy-to-use but you need to be patient. Amazing Remelt requires melting... the best way is in the microwave LOW and SLOW {CLICK HERE to view preparation}. It can be melted in the container it comes in, but for molding small items, I prefer using this cup fashioned with Amazing Mold Putty which I formed around the outside of a shot glass. I like this cup because it can be baked up to 375º F, is easier to pour from, and it helps keep the melted material from cooling off too fast.

I place the mounted apple over the top of a small silicone bowl then pour the melted Amazing Remelt over the top, completely covering surface of item. I stop for a brief moment after first coating, then repeat with a second layer. The overpour is collected in silicone bowl below which will be the mold box in the following steps.

After cooling off for a couple minutes, the Amazing Remelt hardens, and I have a skin layer which helps prevent air bubbles from getting trapped on surface of original.

I fill the bowl and flip the mounted pin with remelt skin layer over, then place face down into the liquid Amazing Remelt. After leveling it on the bowl, add more remelt to fill up to edge of suspended apple pin. Mold making doesn't always look pretty... it just needs to WORK! I set this in the refrigerator for about a 1/2 hour to cool and harden.

My little apple mold is hardened and ready to pop out of the bowl and demold.

I can make my charms, then melt the molds down and mold something else later. I don't have to store umpteen apple molds for eternity. I plan to make a few extra molds for FOOD USE ONLY to make some poison apple Halloween treats with chocolate melts. YES, this molding product is foodsafe and is perfect for chocolate and fondant.

Most of my time making these charms was spent on mold preparation. I made 16 molds which took me a a couple hours one morning plus a whole entire day. Making one mold takes about a 1/2 an hour... the time consuming part is melting the Amazing Remelt slowly and then waiting for it to harden to demold the original.

Before pouring resin, I gently cut a slice in each mold where I suspend a headpin with two glass beads {these will be embedded in the resin}. I will use this to form a loop at the top to affix beads and a jump ring for hanging on a chain. With a tiny brush, I added a bit of color to the leaf and stem using Alumidust.

I gently pour resin, guiding it with a stir stick to fill each mold. I cover the tray and set aside to cure overnight.

VOILA... my apples are cured and are ready to embellish! I decided to use a glass leaf bead, so I bent and broke off the leaf of each resin apple. I gave each a light and quick sanding around edges with an emory board, then I finished each charm with 2 wire-wrapped beaded danglies placed onto the embedded headpin. I close headpin off and form a loop for a jumpring... these gorgeous glowing apples are complete.

How charming is the glowing green apple?!

After making the green apples... I couldn't stop there! I took this idea further by altering the original, then remolding/casting to make a glowing resin POISON apple! This right is a one-of-a-kind, but if anyone would love a custom pendant, I will entertain custom orders for with drips in your favorite color.Here is mine with an accompanying ATC {artist trading card} as part of swap rules.

"Dip the apple in the brew,

let the Sleeping Death seep through..."

Here are the ghoulishly glam charms made by all the players. I'm going to have fun dressing these up into finished pieces and having SpOoKy jewels to wear for the coming weeks up to Halloween. CLICK on NAME to pop over to a tutorial {if available}.

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WELCOME to the blog for sbartist (Susan M. Brown) - mixed media artist and graphic designer.I frequently lurk around in the dark creating art while all in the world are asleep. What will I dream up next...